THE PRESIDENT [addressing Members of the Congress assembled in the East Room]: We have scheduled at 1:30 the report of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the distinguished majority leader of the Senate on the 89th Congress.
And I do not want to keep either of them waiting. Because I make certain predictions in my statement that include the hope, and the possibility, and I think, the belief that if I can get them back to the Hill promptly, maybe we can break all records for the successful production of a Congress that has been functioning now very effectively and with great pride for 174 years.
So those of you that care to, we would like for you--you are welcome to remain. We don't want you to feel that you are a captive audience.
But we will now present the Speaker and have a brief statement from the Speaker and the majority leader. And I will conclude it and then we will be glad to continue to individually greet each of you here that may care to do that.
It is with great pride that I now present the beloved and productive and most respected Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, my longtime, devoted friend, John McCormack.
THE SPEAKER. Mr. President, the report that I make to you this afternoon will be brief.
I can sum up the record of the 89th Congress of this House of Representatives in just one word--fabulous. We have been fortunate to have many outstanding Congresses: the 59th, under Theodore Roosevelt; the 63d, under Woodrow Wilson; the great 73d, under Franklin Roosevelt.
Then in my fourth term, I was proud to be a Member of that 73d Congress which gave life and force to the New Deal.
But this Nation has never witnessed anything like the fabulous 89th Congress, both sessions of this Congress. It has surpassed them all. Not because it has produced more legislation than any previous Congress, but because this legislation will have more meaning and deeper significance for every American than any in the past.
This Congress has heard what you have had to say, Mr. President, and has left this country a legacy of greatness.
I would like to add that in this Congress, unlike any in my memory, the second session has been just as productive as the first. These achievements do not take place magically or overnight. They are the fruits of hard work, of intense deliberation and debate, by the most dedicated Democratic Congress I have seen in my 38 years as a Member of the House.
Many, many Members of Congress, of course, merit our gratitude, but the freshmen Democratic Congressmen who provided the margin of victory in so many vital legislative battles deserve special emphasis in relation to credit.
By their words and their deeds they won their stripes in the 89th Congress, and this country needs them back again.
This, Mr. President, completes my report. We are looking forward with hope and anticipation to an even greater 90th Congress next year.
THE PRESIDENT. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know any more difficult job in this country, and certainly not in this Government, than the job of being majority leader of the United States Senate.
And I don't know of any man that ever held that job that did it so well with such universal affection and respect from not only every Member of that body, but from every Member of the Cabinet and the President himself.
I take great pride and pleasure in presenting to you one of the most beloved men in this country, and one of my most trusted and loyal friends of many years, Mike Mansfield.
SENATOR MANSFIELD. Mr. President, I am here this afternoon to report briefly to you on the state of the great 89th Congress. In just a few days, the curtain will ring down on 2 years of towering legislative achievement.
Throughout this period, the Senate started early and worked late. You set a large and demanding task before us. The Congress met that challenge as concerned and compassionate legislators. The Senate of the 89th Congress was infused with the excitement of great expectations.
In these two sessions, we have written into the statue books legislation whose scope and excellence have never been equaled in the history of the Republic.
Mr. President, when we finish our work, the second session will add its full share to the first in its achievements. The American people are the beneficiaries.
This legislation has increased the opportunities of so very many, and has brightened the hopes of all. As one whose home was once on the Hill, you know the pride that comes from accomplishment and the fulfillment that flows from a job well done. We are very proud of our record, and I am glad that we can share this moment with you.
So, Mr. President, as you undertake your mission of peace and good will to Asia, I speak for all of us in the Senate again when I say Godspeed and our very best wishes to you for a most successful journey.
THE PRESIDENT. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Majority Leader, Members of Congress, distinguished guests:
In the history of our country, certainly in the past, most Americans have been rather cynical about their party platforms. But this year I believe that Americans have changed their way of thinking, for this year the Democratic Party has lived up to its platform.
To enact our 1964 platform, the President recommended 170 important bills, including what we call 60 "landmark measures." The 89th Congress has passed, or we believe will pass, more than nine out of ten of these bills. Its batting average, .900, we think is a good World Series record.
We ran on our platform. We got elected on our platform. We have enacted our platform. But even more important is what is in that platform. And I want to be, briefly, quite specific.
Let's take education. In the previous 88 Congresses, 174 years, before this administration, Congress passed only six basic education bills. The first one was in Abraham Lincoln's administration. For the next one, we had to wait for Woodrow Wilson, the next one Harry Truman, and the last three for President Eisenhower.
In the 35 months since I entered the White House, Congress has passed not six, as it did in the 174 years, but 18 basic education bills. In the first 174 years, Congress invested $5 billion 800 million for education, or an average of $33 million per year in educating our children.
The 89th Congress invested not $5 billion 800 million, but $9 billion 600 million, almost twice as much as all those other Congresses put together.
Now I think you know what this will mean for our children. And I think you will live to see what it will mean for our country.
This Congress has provided assistance to the child that is 4 or 5 years old in Head Start and carries that assistance on through elementary, secondary, vocational education, higher education, until you get a Ph.D. in college, if you can take it.
Let's take health. Outside of education, we think that health is one of our most urgent problems.
In 1798 the Public Health Service was first established. From 1798 until 1963, for 168 years, 17 major health measures were enacted--17 in 168 years.
In that time, our Federal investment for health totaled approximately $10 billion-$10 billion for that entire first 88 Congresses.
Since 1963, Congress has enacted not 17 measures, but 24 major health programs-more than were enacted in all the previous 168 years put together.
The 89th Congress will allocate $8 billion 200 million for health, including medical care--that is the granddaddy of all of them-nearly as much as Federal health expenditures for all the other 168 years put together.
Let's take conservation and beautification. The 89th Congress passed 20 major conservation measures. This morning I signed an additional seven measures to extend our parks and our scenic waterways, to save our historic sites, to preserve our natural seashores, to beautify our land for our children.
This year, this Congress will bring more than 1 million acres of land into the public domain for parks and playgrounds, near our teeming cities where our families live and our people and our children grow up.
Let's take cities. We have met with the most distinguished group of mayors of both parties from throughout this land today.
The Cities Act, the Mass Transit Act, the act to clean up our dirty water and to clean out our dirty air--begin a major battle to make American cities places where American people can live full and decent lives.
Never in the history of any Congress has so much legislation been passed affecting so many people in so many of the cities of America.
Yesterday we had the very difficult and dangerous vote, but under the leadership of the great Speaker of the House, that measure, Demonstration Cities, passed the House.
May I observe, Senator Mansfield, that I hope you and the Speaker can work out your differences. If you can't work them out here in the East Room, be sure to work them out in the Capitol, because I would like to sign that bill when I get back.
Let's take consumers: truth in packaging, auto safety, tire safety, child safety are major measures to guard the health and safety of our people.
So, in short, I could discuss all the 170 bills, but I want to summarize them.
This is the education Congress, and I hope we can remember that.
This is the health Congress, and we Will gladly compare it with all the others combined.
This is the conservation Congress. This is the cities Congress. This is the consumers Congress.
And when the historians of tomorrow write of today, they will say of the 89th Congress, in my judgment, "This was the great Congress."
In closing, I would like to mention two other matters of note.
First, this was a Congress of leaders. I don't know of anyone who illustrates this better than Carl Albert, our beloved House Majority Leader, who wanted to climb out of his hospital bed last night to go down and vote for the cities bill.
Speaker McCormack had to order him not to come. And I called him this morning and talked to him on the telephone and thanked him for not coming.
Second, this was a Congress of action. It was only 1 year ago today that I asked Bob Wood to leave his prestigious place at MIT to come to Washington to head a task force on the cities, to make recommendations for the President to submit to the Congress.
In that 1 year he has been here, he has organized that task force, he has made his recommendations, the President has transmitted them to the Congress, and the Congress has passed them through both Houses.
I want to pay tribute to Mr. Wood and to Secretary Weaver, and to all the others who have done so much to provide the basic ideas for this major legislative triumph.
I think I should observe that yesterday I looked at these major measures. I was speaking to the Senate at their invitation, to come and be with them before I go on my Asian trip. And I saw there a man who was leader of another party, who had walked in on crutches, but who was still at his post of duty. I observed that while he would not want to be associated with us on some of the measures, that on a goodly portion of these measures the leadership of both sides in the Senate had cast their votes the same way.
The record in the House is a little different. The leadership of the House minority party voted with us about 30-odd percent of the time.
Now, our problem is we have provided this legislation and we must administer it and execute it in such a manner as to bring pride to its authors and to those who helped us create it.
And to all the American people, to all the people of both parties, and particularly to the leaders who are responsible for the Congress themselves, who are here today, the last thing I want to do before I leave is to say God bless you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done for the American people.
Note: The President spoke at 1:35 p.m. in the East Room at the White House. During his remarks he referred to, among others, Robert C. Weaver and Robert C. Wood, Secretary and Under Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
On the same day the White House made public a summary of the accomplishments of the 89th Congress (2 Weekly Comp. Pres. Docs., p. 1502). Following the adjournment sine die on October 22, a final report on the Congress, prepared by Lawrence F. O'Brien, Postmaster General, and Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Special Assistant to the President, was transmitted to the President in Manila. The text, made public on October 24, follows:
FINAL REPORT TO PRESIDENT LYNDON B, JOHNSON ON THE 89TH CONGRESS BY LAWRENCE F. O'BRIEN AND JOSEPH A. CALIFANO, JR.
Here is our final summary of the 89th Congress.
A. - Our overall assessment
In a word, this was a fabulous and remarkable Congress. We say this not because of its unprecedented productivity--but because what was passed has deep meaning and significance for every man, woman and child in this country--and for future generations. A particularly striking feature about the 89th was that its second session was as equally productive as the first.
Attached is a detailed appendix. It tells an impressive story of achievement.
In brief summary this is the record of the major legislation this Administration initiated and sponsored:
First session: 87 measures, 84 passed
Second session: 113 measures, 97 passed
Grand total: 200 measures, 181 passed, 19 did not (see Section C)
Batting average: .905
B. - The Major Accomplishments
Of this list of 181 measures passed, we regard the following 60 as of landmark and historic significance:
The First Session
1. Medicare
2. Elementary and Secondary Education
3. Higher Education
4. Farm Bill
5. Department of Housing and Urban Development
6. Omnibus Housing Act (including rent supplements, and low and moderate income housing)
7. Social Security Increases
8. Voting Rights
9. Immigration Bill
10. Older Americans Act
11. Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke Research and Facilities
12. Law Enforcement Assistance Act
13. National Crime Commission
14. Drug Controls
15. Mental Health Research and Facilities
16. Health Professions Education
17. Medical Library Facilities
18. Vocational Rehabilitation
19. Inter-American Bank Fund increases
20. Stepping Up the War Against Poverty
21. Arts and Humanities Foundation
22. Appalachia
23. Highway Beautification
24. Air Pollution (auto exhausts and research)
25. Water Pollution Control (water quality standards)
26. High speed ground transportation
27. Extension and strengthening of MDTA
28. Presidential Disability and Succession
29. Child Health Medical Assistance
30. Regional Development
- The Second Session
1. The Department of Transportation
2. Truth in Packaging
3. Demonstration Cities
4. Funds for Rent Supplements
5. Funds for Teacher Corps
6. Asian Development Bank
7. Water Pollution (Clean Rivers)
8. Food for Peace
9. March Anti-inflation package
10. Narcotics Rehabilitation
11. Child Safety
12. Viet-Nam Supplemental
13. Foreign Aid Extension
14. Traffic Safety
15. Highway Safety
16. Public Health Service Reorganization
17. Community Relations Service Reorganization
18. Water Pollution Control Administration Reorganization
19. Mine Safety
20. Allied Health Professions Training
21. International Education
22. Child Nutrition
23. Bail Reform
24. Civil Procedure Reforms
25. Tire Safety
26. Protection for Savers (increase in Federal Insurance for savings accounts)
27. The GI Bill
28. Minimum Wage Increase
29. Urban Mass Transit
30. Elementary and Higher Education Funds
C. - The Unfinished Agenda
Nineteen bills were not passed. Some of these are less important than others. But in the interests of a complete record we are including them all.
1. Civil Rights: Passed the House. Held in the Senate after two cloture motions failed by to votes, A majority of the Congress favored this bill. (second session)
2. Repeal of 14b: Much the same story as Civil Rights. Passed the House but held in Senate on a late session filibuster (first session). Cloture motion failed twice in second session (15 votes short) and bill remained in Senate. Here again, a majority of the Congress wanted this bill.
3. Unemployment Insurance Amendments: House hearings completed (first session). In second session, House and Senate passed differing versions with Senate including federal standards, but not House. No final agreement was reached in last days of session.
4. D.C. Home Rule: House and Senate passed differing versions (first session). No action in second session.
5. Truth in Lending: No action in either first or second session.
6. Election Reform: Hearings completed in House and early attention to be given to measure next year. No movement in Senate. (However, Long's tax proposal to finance Presidential campaigns passed.)
7. Four Year Term for Members of the House: Hearings held in House and Senate but no action taken. (second session)
8. East-West Trade: Bills introduced but no hearings held. (second session)
9. Gun Bill: Hruska bill (covering hand guns only) cleared but not reported by Senate Judiciary Committee after Dodd bill (including rifles) dropped. No action on Senate floor. (second session)
10. International Health: House Commerce Committee reported this out in March. No action beyond this. (second session)
11. Special Amortization Formula/or Hospital Modernization: No action taken. (second session)
12. Rural Community Development Districts: Passed the Senate. House Agriculture Committee reported out favorably. No final action taken in House. (second session)
13. Electoral College Reform: Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings. No further progress. (first and second sessions)
14. Consolidated Federal Correctional System: Only action was House subcommittee hearings. (second session)
15. National Wild Rivers System: Passed the Senate in January 1966. No final House action. (first and second sessions)
16. Transportation User Charges: (highways, airways, waterways) House Ways and Means Committee held hearings on airways user charges. No action beyond this. (second session)
17-18-19. Three Stockpile Bills: (silicon carbide, metallurgical grade bauxite, and diamond tools) Hearings held by House Armed Services Committee but not reported out. (second session)
DETAILED APPENDIX
MAJOR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS (84) ENACTED BY THE 89TH CONGRESS--FIRST SESSION
AGRICULTURE
- Farm Ownership Loan Authorization.
Expands the program under which the Farmers Home Administration assists in development of rural areas by loans and grants to provide rural water and waste disposal systems. (P.L. 89-117 (Title X))
- Tobacco Acreage.
Reduces surplus supplies and improves the quality of the tobacco crop by restricting the amount of tobacco which may be produced. (P.L. 89-12)
- Food Marketing Commission Extension.
Permits the Commission (established in 1964 to study and recommend improvements in the structure of the entire food industry) to do justice to its assignment by extending its life until July 1, 1966. (P.L. 89-20)
- Farm Bill.
Establishes major agricultural supply adjustment programs for the next four years. (P.L. 89-321 )
- Cotton.
Sets the support price at about the world price of 21 cents per pound and provides for additional payments to cooperating producers and small farms. (P.L. 89-321)
- Extension of the Sugar Act.
Revises and extends through December 31, 1971, domestic and foreign sugar quotas; increases domestic mainland cane and beet sugar quotas by 580,000 tons a year and grants foreign quotas to 31 countries. (P.L. 89-331)
COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION
- Public Works and Economic Development Act.
Provides Federal financial and technical aid to economically depressed areas to enable them to take effective steps in planning and financing their future. (P.L. 89-136)
- Appalachia.
Establishes a regional commission to carry out a variety of public works, vocational training, and demonstration projects in cooperation with State and local governments in the 11 Appalachian States to revive the region's economy and to improve the skills and health of its residents. (P.L. 89-4)
- Rapid Rail Transportation.
Authorizes research and development in high-speed ground transportation to increase the ease and speed with which Americans can travel in heavily traveled corridors, such as the one from Washington to Boston. (P.L. 89--220)
- State Technical Services Act.
Authorizes Federal assistance to States in making the fruits of scientific and engineering research and development available to American businessmen, large and small. (P.L. 89-182)
- Highway Beautification Program.
Authorizes controls on roadside advertising and junkyards and provides for financial assistance to states for landscaping and scenic easements along highways. (P.L. 89-285 of October 22, 1965)
- Reorganization Plan #2 of 1965.
Provides for consolidation of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Weather Bureau to form a new agency within the Commerce Department known as the Environmental Science Services Administration.
- Reorganization Plan #3 of 1965.
Provides for the reorganization of the locomotive inspection functions of the ICC.
- Export Control Act Expansion.
Extends for four years--until June 30, 1969--the Export Control Act of 1949, which contains the basic authority to control exports to Communist Nations and to regulate exports for foreign policy purposes. (P.L. 89-63)
DEFENSE
- Military Procurement.
Authorizes appropriations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1966, totaling $15.4 billion for the procurement of aircraft, missiles and naval vessels and for research and development functions of the Department of Defense. (P.L. 89-37)
- Vietnam Supplemental Appropriation.
Provides $799 million in supplemental funds to meet mounting military requirements in Vietnam for arms, ammunition, planes and helicopters. (P.L. 89-18)
- Military Pay Bill.
Substantially increases the basic pay of enlisted members and officers of the uniformed services and requires annual review of the adequacy of military compensation. (P.L. 89-132)
- Servicemen's Group Life Insurance.
Authorizes a contributory group life insurance program providing up to $10,000 coverage for members of the uniformed services. (P.L. 89-214)
- Military Construction Authorization.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1966 in the amount of $1.8 billion for construction at military installations in the U.S. and abroad. (P.L. 89-188)
HEALTH EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
- Medicare.
Establishes two major new national health insurance programs for 19,000,000 older Americans designed to provide protection against the high cost of health care. The basic plan, financed through the contributory social security system, covers hospital services, posthospital care, outpatient hospital diagnostic services, and home health services. The supplementary voluntary plan provides protection against the costs of physicians' and surgeons' services whether in the home, office or hospital. (P.L. 89-97)
- Community Health Services Extension Act.
Extends grant-in-aid programs of the Public Health Service under which Federal assistance is available to States and communities in financing four major public health service programs: (1) immunization of very young children against various diseases, (2) public health services for domestic migratory agricultural workers, (3) grants for general public health services and the twelve schools of public health, and (4) demonstration of ways to improve public health services. (P.L. 89-109)
- Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke (Medical Complex Bill).
Authorizes Federal grants to develop regional cooperative arrangements for research, training and related work in order to plan, develop and mobilize all of our medical resources to combat cancer, stroke and heart disease and related diseases and to make available to patients the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. (P.L. 89-239)
- Drug Abuse.
Provides an important tool in our fight against crime and delinquency by authorizing special controls to prevent misuse of potentially dangerous drugs, especially sedatives and stimulants. (P.L. 89-74)
- Child Health and Welfare.
Establishes a new five-year grant program to assist the States in providing comprehensive health care and services for low-income school and preschool children, and expands existing maternal and child health and crippled children's programs. (P.L. 89-97)
- Community Mental Health Centers.
Broadens the Community Mental Health Center Act of 1965 by authorizing Federal assistance in the initial staffing of these centers, and expands the training of teachers of handicapped and retarded children. (P.L. 89-105)
- Health Research Facilities Act.
Extends and expands the program of grants for the construction of research laboratories to wage war on disease and crippling illnesses. (P.L. 89-115)
- Older Americans.
Authorizes Federal grants to States to stimulate communities to develop a variety of services for the elderly, and authorizes funds for the study, development, and evaluation of techniques which can assist the aged to enjoy wholesome and meaningful lives. (P.L. 89-73)
- Social Security.
Social Security benefits for over 20 million current beneficiaries were increased by 7 percent and an estimated $1.2 billion in additional benefits, covering increases retroactive to January 1, 1965, were paid in 1965. (P.L. 89-97)
- Education.
Provides Federal financial assistance to elementary and secondary education by authorizing grants (1) to school districts with large numbers of children from low-income families to support special educational programs for these children; (2) to assist schools in the purchase of books and other library materials; (3) to set up supplementary centers to help schools deal with educational problems; (4) to foster educational research, the development of new classroom materials and the training of teachers in their use; and (5) to strengthen the leadership of State educational agencies. (P.L. 89-10)
- Clean Air--Solid Waste.
Provides important new authority to protect the health and comfort of all Americans by prescribing standards for emissions from new automobiles, and establishes a new program of financial and technical assistance in developing methods of removing the trash, garbage, and junk which litters the Nation. (P.L. 89-272)
- Medical Libraries.
Provides for a program of grants to assist in meeting the need for adequate medical library services and facilities. (P.L. 89-291)
- Health Professions Assistance.
Extends the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act to establish new programs for support and improvement grants for health professions schools and for scholarships for students from lowincome families. (P.L. 89-290)
- Higher Education.
Provides for strengthening the community service programs of colleges and universities, provides financial assistance for students in post-secondary and higher education, authorizes a National Teacher Corps and broadens programs of teacher preparation. (P.L. 89-329)
- Vocational Rehabilitation.
Greatly expands and improves vocational rehabilitation programs. (P.L. 89-333)
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
- Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Creates a new Cabinet Department in recognition of the rapid urbanization of this country and the increasing necessity for focusing attention on the problems of our cities. (P.L. 89-174)
- Housing Act.
Establishes a new program of rent supplements to assist in obtaining new housing for people who are displaced by city rehabilitation activities. Extends and expands urban renewal, low rent public housing, and community facilities programs to meet problems created for our cities by the forces of growth and decay. (P.L. 89-117)
INTERIOR
- River basin.
Provides valuable tools for planning for meeting our future water needs by establishing a Federal Water Resources Council, authorizing river basin commissions, and providing Federal grants to States to assist them in planning the development of river basins. (P.L. 89-80)
- Water Pollution Control.
Amends the Water Pollution Control Act to require the establishment of water quality standards for the guidance of industry, local government and others, provides grants for water quality management projects and for solution of problems created by combined storm and sanitary sewers, and increased funds for the existing waste treatment program are authorized. (P.L. 89-234)
- Federal Water Project--Recreation Act.
Recognizes recreation as a purpose of Federal water projects and establishes policies for allocating recreation costs in the development of water projects. (P.L. 89-72)
- Saline Water.
Provides for continuation and expansion of the research and experimentation now under way to develop practical and economical methods of desalting sea water and brackish groundwater. (P.L. 89-118)
- Assateague Island National Seashore.
Creates a national seashore accessible to one-fifth of the Nation's population, and stretching 33 miles salting sea water and brackish groundwater. (P.L. 89-195)
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Authorizes the creation of a 72,000 acre recreation area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey which will serve almost 30 million people who live within 100 miles of the recreation area. (P.L. 89-158)
- Garrison Reclamation Project.
Authorizes the initial stage of the multi-purpose Garrison diversion unit of the Missouri River Basin project, consisting of a canal and related facilities to convey water stored by the existing dam to irrigate 250,000 acres initially. (P.L. 89-103)
- Auburn-Folsom Unit, Central Valley Project.
Authorizes the construction of a major, multipurpose water resource project on the American River in California, to serve the Central Valley. (P.L. 89-161)
- Whiskeytown-Shasta National Recreation Area.
Establishes the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area in California. (P.L. 89-334)
- Guam Organic Act Amendments.
Permits the Guam legislature to fix its own salaries and expenses and provides for their payment from local revenues. (P.L. 89-100)
- Virgin Islands Organic Act Amendments.
Permits the Virgin Islands legislature to fix its own salaries and expenses and provides for their payment from local revenues. (P.L. 89-98)
- Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Recreation Area.
Authorizes this recreation area in West Virginia. (P.L. 89-207)
JUSTICE
- Voting rights.
Ensures the right to vote to millions of Americans who have been denied that right because of their color. Protection provided includes the appointment of voting registrars, the barring of literacy and other tests, and machinery for invalidating poll taxes. (P.L. 89-110)
- Immigration.
Abolishes in three years the highly discriminatory system by which we select on the basis of place of birth among persons who wish to immigrate to the United States and substitutes a selection system based on relationship m persons already living in this country and the possession of professional and occupational skills needed in the United States. (P.L. 89-236)
- Juvenile delinquency.
Authorizes appropriations for the fiscal years 1966 and 1967 to carry out the purposes of the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act of 1961. (P.L. 89-67
- Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1965.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1966 of $10 million for assistance to programs and facilities for training of law enforcement personnel and to projects for developing or demonstrating effective methods for increasing security of persons and property and controlling of crime. (P.L. 89-197)
LABOR
- Manpower Training Act Extension.
Carries forward training programs which equip men and women who are unemployed to hold productive and useful jobs; and to encourage greater participation in the program by the States, it reduces the matching requirement. (P.L. 89-15)
STATE-AID
- Foreign Aid.
Authorizes appropriations to carry forward programs of military and economic assistance vital to our security and necessary for humanity. (P.L. 89-171)
- Disarmament Act.
Continues the authorization for appropriations for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency for three fiscal years to permit that agency to continue its important work and make clear to all our never-ceasing quest for a peaceful and secure world. (P.L. 89-27)
- U.N. Charter Amendment.
Enhances the effectiveness of the United States mission to the United Nations by giving the chief of the mission greater flexibility in assigning duties to members of the mission and providing for the appointment of a United States representative to the European office of the U.N. at Geneva. (Ratified 6/3/65)
- Peace Corps.
Authorizes appropriations for the Peace Corps the fiscal year ending June 30, 1966, to enable it to carry on even more effectively the splendid work it has been doing in underdeveloped areas of the world. (P.L. 89-134)
- Coffee Agreement.
Carries out the United States' obligations under the International Coffee Agreement which was developed in order to stabilize coffee prices for the protection of consumers in this country and of Latin American countries whose economic well-being is tied to coffee. (P.L. 89-23)
- Agreement with Canada on Auto Parts.
Implements agreement with Canada concerning automotive products and provides special adjustment assistance for firms and workers suffering dislocation as a result. (P.L. 89-283 of October 21, 1965)
TREASURY
- Excise Taxes.
Lifts $4.7 billion of onerous taxes from the American economy through January 1, 1969, including repeal or reduction of excises on a wide variety of products, appliances, automobiles and communications. (P.L. 89-44)
- Balance of payments.
Authorizes the President to consult with representatives of banks and other financial institutions to formulate voluntary agreements which will serve to check the outflow of dollar funds in the interest of improving our international balance of payments position. (P.L. 89-175)
- Interest equalization tax.
Extends and broadens the interest equalization tax, which has demonstrated its effectiveness and importance in assisting the balance of payments through restraining foreign use of U.S. capital markets. (P.L. 89-243)
- Silver coinage.
Makes the first fundamental change in our coinage laws since 1792 by eliminating the use of silver in the minting of dimes and quarters and reducing the amount of silver in half dollars in order to help meet our rapidly growing need for coins and industry's need for silver and to conserve the Government's stock of silver. (P.L. 89-81)
- Reorganization Plan # 1--Bureau of Customs.
Abolishes all offices in the Bureau of Customs filled by Presidential appointment in an overall modernization of the Customs Service with eventual savings of over $9 million a year. (Effective May 25, 1965)
- International Monetary Fund.
Enables the United States to join with other countries in increasing their contributions to the International Monetary Fund so that it may continue its important contributions to the economic health of the Free World. (P.L. 89-31 )
- Reduction of duty-free tourists exemption.
Aids in eliminating our balance-of-payments deficit by reducing the value and kinds of articles which returning tourists can bring in to the United States without payment of duty. (P.L. 89-62)
- Inter-American Development Bank.
Strengthens the Bank's role as the Bank for the Alliance for Progress by authorizing a $750 million increase in the U.S. contribution to the Fund for Special Operations. (P.L. 89-6)
- Gold Cover.
Repeals the requirement that Federal Reserve banks maintain a reserve in gold certificates of at least 25 percent against their deposit liabilities and makes possible the monetary expansion necessary for the Nation's continued growth and prosperity. (P.L. 89-3)
- Debt Ceiling Increase.
Establishes a temporary debt limit for the fiscal year 1966 of $328 billion to provide flexibility in the financing of the Government's operations. (P.L. 89-49)
MISCELLANEOUS
- Poverty.
Continues the war on poverty and increases the funds available to wage that war. (P.L. 89-253)
- Arts and Humanities.
Creates a National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities to support and promote the theater, opera, ballet, art, sculpture and other forms of the creative and performing arts and the humanities. (P.L. 89-209)
- Presidential Disability and Succession.
A Constitutional amendment, now before the States for ratification, which provides a procedure for filling a vacancy in the Vice Presidency and makes provision for continuity in the leadership of the executive branch during periods when a President may be unable to perform his duties. (Transmitted to States for ratification 7/9/65.)
- Presidential Assassination.
Establishes clearly the jurisdiction of the Federal Government to investigate attempts to kill, kidnap or assault the President, Vice President or legally designated successors. (P.L. 89-141)
- Atomic Energy Authorization.
Authorizes appropriations for the fiscal year 1966 to finance the activities of the Atomic Energy Commission, including the design, development and construction of advanced research equipment and production plants. (P.L. 89-32)
- Coast Guard Authorization.
Authorizes appropriations of $114,250,000 for fiscal year 1966 for procurement of vessels and aircraft and construction of shore and offshore establishments for the Coast Guard. (P.L. 89-13)
- Foreign Official Time Deposits.
Extends for three years through October 15, 1968, the authority for commercial banks to pay higher rates of interest on time deposits of foreign governments, central banks or other monetary authorities and international financial institutions of which the United States is a member, than those interest rates permitted on domestic deposits. (P.L. 89-79)
- Secret Service Arrest Authorization.
Authorizes members of the Secret Service to make arrests without warrant for (a) any offense against the United States committed in their presence or (b) any felony under the law of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such a felony. (P.L. 89-218)
- Reorganization Act Extension.
Extends until December 31, 1968, the period during which the President is authorized to transmit for the consideration of the Congress plans to make desirable reorganizations in the agencies of the Executive Branch. (P.L. 89-43)
- NASA Authorization.
Authorizes appropriations for the fiscal year ending lane 30, 1966, for the prosecution of the space program, including research and development, construction of facilities and administrative operations. (P.L. 89-53)
- Patent Fee Increase.
Increases the patent filing and patent issue fees and doubles the sales charge per copy of a patent in order to recover about three quarters of the cost of operating the Patent Office. (P.L. 89-83)
- D.C. Transit.
Authorizes the first stage of a rapid transit system which is vital to the orderly growth and development of the National Capital Region. (P.L. 89-173)
- Federal Salaries Adjustment.
Increases the basic pay of civilian employees by 3.6 percent and provides various fringe benefits. (P.L. 89-301)
- Civil Service Retirement Act Amendments.
Increases pensions for retired Federal employees and their survivors and revises the method of determining cost-of-living increases. (P.L. 89-205)
- Reorganization Plan #4 of 1965.
Provides flexibility to make changes in, or to abolish, various statutory committees.
MAYOR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS (97) ENACTED BY THE 89TH CONGRESS--SECOND SESSION
AGRICULTURE
- Food for India.
Provides congressional endorsement and support for the program to assist in meeting food needs, shortages, and malnutrition in India and to help Indian agricultural production. (P.L. 89-406 of April 19, 1966)
- Child Nutrition.
Extends and expands the child nutrition program including new programs for school breakfasts and for food preparation and serving equipment.(P.L. 89-642 of October 11, 1966)
- Food for Freedom.
Revises and extends expiring Food for Peace Program. (Enacted by the Congress)
COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION
- Transportation Department.
Establishes a new Cabinet Department to consolidate the principal transportation operating programs of the Government (except the Maritime Administration) in one agency. (P.L. 89-670 of October 15, 1966)
- Truth-in-Packaging.
Improves protection of the consumer by new standards of labeling and by providing for bringing order into the chaotic pattern of package sizes. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Traffic Safety.
provides for establishment of safety standards for motor vehicles and for research and development in traffic safety. (P.L. 89-563 of September 9, 1966)
- Highway Safety.
Provides Federal assistance for the development and carrying out of comprehensive highway safety programs throughout the nation and authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a research, development and demonstration program in highway safety. (P.L. 89-564 of September 9, 1966)
- Federal Aid Highway.
Extends and increases authorizations for the Interstate Highway System, the Federal Aid primary, secondary and urban highway programs and for roads on Federal property. (P.L. 89-574 of September 13, 1966)
DEFENSE
- Vietnam supplemental.
Authorizes appropriations of $4,857 million for fiscal year 1966 for procurement, research and development and for construction primarily to meet additional military needs in Vietnam. (P.L. 89-367 of March 15, 1966)
- Military medical program.
Expands the medical care and health benefits provided for dependents of military personnel and for retired personnel and their dependents. (P.L. 89-614 of September 30, 1966)
- Military construction authorization.
Authorizes appropriations of more than $1 billion for military construction, including family housing, for fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-568 of September 12, 1966)
- Military procurement authorization.
Authorizes appropriations of $17.5 billion for fiscal year 1967 for military procurement and also authorizes a 3.2 percent increase in the basic pay of all members of the uniformed services. (P.L. 89501 of July 13, 1966)
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
- Elementary and secondary education.
Extends for two years the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and continues the impacted area assistance program. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Higher education.
Extends for three years programs of assistance to higher education. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Teacher Corps funds--FY 1966.
Appropriates $9.5 million to initiate activities under the National Teacher Corps program. (P.L. 89-426 of May 13, 1966)
- Teacher Corps funds--FY 1967.
Appropriates funds to finance the first full academic year under the National Teacher Corps program. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Medicare enrollment extension.
Extends for two months the initial enrollment period for supplementary insurance benefits for the aged under the Medicare program. (P.L. 89-384 of April 8, 1966)
- International education.
Establishes a program of assistance to American universities and colleges m develop and expand their activities in international studies and services. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Library services.
Expands and extends the Library Services and Construction Act for five years, including new provisions for interlibrary cooperation and State library services. (P.L. 89-541 of July 19, 1966)
- Health services.
Provides for assistance m the States to develop and support comprehensive health planning and services, including the strengthening of community health services. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Public Health Service.
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1966 transfers statutory authorities of health constituents of HEW to the Secretary to permit him to reorganize and modernize the performance of health functions--effective June 25, 1966.
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
- Urban mass transit.
Extends for two years the capital grant authorization under the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 and provides new authority for research, development, training and demonstration, including grants in the field of urban mass transportation. (P.L. 89-562 of September 8, 1966)
- FNMA.
Increases the supply of mortgage money by providing $3.76 billion additional authority for secondary market mortgage purchases and $1 billion of authority for new lower cost housing. (P.L. 89-566 of September 10, 1966)
- Rent supplement funds--FY 1966.
Provides $12 million to initiate in fiscal year 1966 this major new effort in improving the lot of our disadvantaged urban citizens. (P.L. 89-426 of May 13, 1966)
- Rent supplement funds--FY 1967.
Provides $20 million for the first year of operation of the rent supplements program in fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-555 of September 6, 1966)
- Demonstration Cities and urban development.
Provides financial and technical assistance to cities to plan, develop, and carry out programs to rebuild and revitalize entire areas of slum and blight and to expand and improve social programs and services available to the people who live in such areas. (Enacted by the Congress)
INTERIOR
- Water Research Expansion.
Expansion of Water Resources Research Act to increase and improve the national program of water research. (P.L. 89-404 of April 19, 1966)
- Water Pollution--Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1966.
Transfers authority for conduct of Federal water pollution control programs from HEW to Interior. (Effective May 10, 1966)
- Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Establishes the Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina. (P.L. 89-366 of March 10, 1966)
- Third Grand Coulee Power Plant.
Authorizes the construction and operation of a third power plant with a capacity of 3,600,000 k.w. at Grand Coulee Dam. (P.L. 89-448 of June 14, 1966)
- Metallic and Nonmetallic Mine Safety.
Provides for the establishment and enforcement of Federal health and safety standards in mining operations not subject to the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. (P.L. 89-577 of September 16, 1966)
- Coal Mine Safety.
Strengthens the provisions of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act and removes the exemptions now applying to small mines. (P.L. 89-376 of March 26, 1966)
- Clean Rivers.
Stimulates a basin-wide approach to cleaning our rivers and extends and expands the basic water pollution control program. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Revolutionary War Bicentennial.
Establishes an American Revolution Bicentennial Commission for the Commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Nation's birth. (P.L. 89-491 of July 4, 1966)
- Guadalupe National Park.
Authorizes a Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. (P.L. 89-667 of October 15, 1966)
Fish and Wildlife Preservation.
Authorizes program to set aside areas for protection of endangered species of fish and wildlife. (P.L. 89-669 of October 15, 1966)
JUSTICE
- Narcotics.
Improves and modernizes handling of narcotics addicts by providing for civil commitment and greater flexibility in sentencing offenders. Enacted by the Congress)
- Community Relations Service--Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1966.
Transfers Community Relations Service from the Commerce Department to the Justice Department so that its activities can be better coordinated with related activities. (Effective April 22, 1966)
- Bail.
Revises bail practices in Federal courts to assure that persons, regardless of their financial status, shall not needlessly be detained pending their appearance in court. (P.L. 89-465 of June 22, 1966)
- Crime package.
Two bills: (I) authorize additional appropriations for the Law Enforcement Assistance Act (enacted by the Congress), and (2) establish a Commission to revise Federal criminal laws (enacted by the Congress).
- Civil Procedure Reforms.
Four statutes to reform civil procedures: (1) increases the authority of Federal agency heads to settle tort claims administratively with recourse to the courts (P.L. 89-506 of July 18, 1966); (2) requires heads of Federal agencies to collect debts owed to the United States which arise from their activities and authorizes them to settle or compromise certain claims (P.L. 89-508 of July 18, 1966); (3) establishes statutes of limitation which apply to contract and tort actions brought by the United States (P.L. 89-505 of July 18, 1966); (4) corrects disparity of treatment between private litigants and the U.S. by providing that judgments for court costs may be awarded to the prevailing party. (P.L. 89-507 of July 18, 1966)
LABOR
- Minimum Wage.
Greatly extends the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, including certain farm workers, and raises the minimum wage in steps to $1.60 an hour for most covered workers. (P.L. 89-601 of September 23, 1966)
STATE-AID
- Vietnam supplemental.
Authorizes appropriation of $415 million in supplemental funds for fiscal year 1966 to meet urgent economic assistance requirements in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. (P.L. 89- 371 of March 18, 1966)
- Economic and military aid.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1967 of $3,502 million for foreign aid, of which $2,627 million is for economic assistance and $875 million is for military assistance, and authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1968 and 1969 for development loans and for the Alliance for Progress. (P.L. 89-583 of September 19, 1966)
- Foreign aid appropriations.
Appropriates $3.5 billion for foreign aid, including military assistance, and related activities for fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-691 of October 15, 1966)
- Florence Agreement.
Implements the Florence Agreement (opened for signature in 1950) dealing with removing tariff and trade barriers to the free flow of educational, scientific and cultural materials between nations. (P.L. 89-651 of October 14, 1966)
- Beirut Agreement.
Implements the Beirut Agreement (proposed by the U.S. in 1948) dealing with the movement of Audio-visual materials between countries and to permit such materials to enter the U.S. duty-free. (P.L. 89-634 of October 8, 1966)
- Water for Peace.
Enables the United States to organize and hold an International Conference on Water for Peace in the United States in 1967 and authorizes an appropriation for that purpose. (Enacted by the Congress)
TREASURY
- Tax Adjustment.
Revises withholding tax system to include graduated withholding rates, accelerates payments of estimated corporation income tax and provides quarterly payment of estimated Social Security tax for self-employed and provides minimum Social Security benefits for uninsured individuals who have reached age 72. (P.L. 89-368 of March 15, 1966)
- Public Debt limit.
Establishes a temporary Public Debt limit of $330 billion for fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-472 of June 24, 1966)
- Sale of Assets.
Authorizes Federal agencies to pool their obligations and to permit the Federal National Mortgage Association to sell certificates of participation in such pools. (P.L. 89-429 of May 24, 1966)
- Coast Guard authorization.
Authorizes the appropriation of $126 million for fiscal year 1967 procurement of Coast Guard vessels and aircraft and for construction activities. (P.L. 89-381 of March 30, 1966)
- Asian Development Bank.
Authorizes membership of the U.S. in the Asian Development Bank and the appropriation of $200 million for the U.S. subscription to the bank's stock. (P.L. 89-369 of March 16, 1966)
- Copper tariff suspension.
Suspends through June 1968 the duties on certain kinds of copper and copper products. (P.L. 89-468 of June 23, 1966)
- Foreign investors tax.
Revises the present method of taxing income derived from the U.S. by foreign individuals and corporations in order to increase the equity of the tax treatment accorded foreign investment in the U.S. This included H.R. 10 and the Financing of Presidential Campaigns Amendments. (Pending Congressional action 10/22/66)
- Suspension of the Investment Credit and Accelerated Depreciation.
Suspends for a temporary period the provisions of existing law permitting an investment tax credit and accelerated depreciation of buildings. (Enacted by the Congress)
MISCELLANEOUS
- G.I. bill.
Provides a permanent program of educational assistance, home and farm loans, hospitalization and medical care, job counseling and placement services, Federal job preference and other benefits to veterans who served after January 31, 1955. (P.L. 89-358 of March 3, 1966)
- Parcel post.
Increases the size and weight limits and the rates on parcel post packages and simplifies the basis on which rates are calculated. (P.L. 89-593 of June 20, 1966)
- Peace Corps authorization.
Authorizes the appropriation of $110 million for the Peace Corps for fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-572 of September 13, 1966)
- Civilian pay.
Provides an average civilian pay increase of 2.9 percent and improved retirement and other fringe benefits. (P.L. 89-504 of July 18, 1966)
- Office of Economic Opportunity authorization.
Extends the war on poverty for another year and authorizes the appropriation of $1.75 billion to wage that war. (Enacted by the Congress)
- Supersonic transport funds.
Appropriates $280 million for research and development in the civil supersonic aircraft program. (P.L. 89-555 of September 6, 1966)
- Atomic Energy Commission authorization.
Authorizes appropriation of $2.26 billion for the AEC for fiscal year 1967. (P.L. 89-428 of May 21, 1966)
- Box car bill.
Authorizes the ICC to increase rates for freight car rental in order to encourage freight car ownership and more efficient utilization of cars. (P.L. 89-430 of May 26, 1966)
- NASA authorization.
Authorizes the appropriation of more than $5 billion for fiscal year 1967 for NASA programs. (P.L. 89-528 of August 5, 1966)
- Public information.
Establishes standards for guiding executive branch agencies in making information available to the public and authorizes court review of decisions to withhold information. (P.L. 89-487 of July 4. 1966)
- TVA revenue bonds.
Increases by $1 billion the amount of revenue bonds which the TVA may issue to finance capital improvements. (P.L. 89-537 of August 12, 1966)
- Small Business Administration authorization.
Increases the level of SBA's lending authority and modifies disaster and other loan program authorities. (P.L. 89-409 of May 2, 1966)
- 23 stockpile bills.
Authorize the disposal of various surplus items in the national and supplemental stockpiles with an estimated value of approximately $1 billion. (19 bills are public laws; 4 bills have been enacted by Congress and are awaiting Presidential signature)
- Financial Institutions Supervisory Act.
Strengthens the regulatory and supervisory authority of Federal agencies over insured banks and insured savings and loan associations, and increases maximum insurance on deposits and share accounts from $10,000 to $15,000. (P.L. 89-695 of October 16, 1966)
- Interest Rate Controls.
Provides for more flexible regulation of interest rates paid on bank deposits, broadens Federal Reserve authority over reserves required on member bank deposits, and permits open market operations by Federal Reserve Banks in obligations of Federal agencies. (P.L. 89-597 of September 21, 1966)
Lyndon B. Johnson, Remarks on the Accomplishments of the 89th Congress Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/238132
